Besides these senior lawyers, President High Court Bar
Association Jammu, Abhinav Sharma and Executive member of High Court Bar
Association Kashmir, Ashraf Bhat, were also present.

Chief Justice exhorted upon lawyers to keep ascertaining
about the well being of the lawyer fraternity and to look into collective needs
of the people of UTs of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh as well as to discuss way
forward during and after the lifting of the lockdown.

During the interaction, lawyers highlighted the fact that
High Court of Jammu and Kashmir is the only court in country which took the
initiative of giving advance dates to the cases so as to streamline further
listing of the cases as well as keeping lawyers and litigants informed about
the progress of their respective cases.

Chief Justice exhorted upon senior lawyers to apply their
mind to the present crisis and to suggest ways and means to move ahead in this
time of crisis. Chief Justice also impressed upon the lawyers to reach out to
other members of the Bar especially those in need of immediate financial help.

Chief Justice also impressed upon the Bar members to give
suggestions to the Amicus Curaie appointed by the High Court in a PIL relating
to Corona Virus for its containment.

During the interaction, Kashmir based lawyers suggested that
some immediate measures are required to be taken to help those persons who
though not directly affected by the COVID-19 but have no regular source of
income and are living hand to mouth and have been left at mercy of God without
any food. They also requested that Habeas Corpus petitions of senior citizens
must be taken up on priority basis.

Jammu based lawyers suggested that Nodal Officers must be
appointed by the Government to liaise with the administration as well as
patients who are ailing due to health conditions unrelated to COVID-19 and who
need immediate medical treatment out of the state but are not able to move due
to restrictions imposed during lockdown. They also highlighted the issue of
lawyers who don’t have regular earning and are hailing from far flung areas and
are residing in rented accommodation in Jammu.

Chief Justice impressed upon all the lawyers to raise a fund
out of lawyers’ contribution for providing financial assistance to the needy
advocates. Chief Justice urged upon the lawyers to evolve a mechanism to
collect data and identify the deserving lawyers. Kashmir based lawyers welcomed
the suggestion of the Chief Justice and assured that Kashmir based lawyers
shall raise a fund for providing financial assistance to the needy lawyers
whereas Jammu based lawyers said some of them on their own are helping their
needy colleagues.

This site uses cookies to deliver our services and to show you relevant news and ads. By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Cookie Policy, Privacy Policy, and our Terms of Service.That's FinePrivacy policy